Application of integrative information technology in the evaluation processes of research institutions

Abstract

The article proposes a solution to the scientific-applied problem of automating decision support regarding the review of criteria and indicators used in the evaluation of state-supported scientific institutions. This topic is highly relevant for scientific and technical activities both in the conditions of martial law and during the restoration of the country in peacetime. To address this issue, an information technology for decision support by experts is proposed based on an integrative methodology that involves data structuring, support for expert judgments, and visualization of decision-making processes using methods such as approval voting, hierarchy analysis, analytical networks, computer ontologies, and elements of graph theory. A concise description of the integrative methodology and the cognitive process of solving unstructured multi-criteria problems supported by this methodology is provided. The functionality of the developed software toolkit is discussed using an illustrative example related to determining the criteria base for the evaluation of scientific institutions. Elements of the ontological evaluation framework, a hierarchical model for the decision-making task of selecting quantitative assessment alternatives, and the results of experts determining criteria weights for evaluating alternatives and conducting pairwise comparisons of alternatives are presented. The conducted research indicates that the developed methodology and software tools, which have previously been tested in law enforcement agencies, can also be applied in other structures of government administration. The obtained results, aimed at enhancing the efficiency of evaluating scientific institutions, can be utilized to support decision-making in various aspects of managing scientific and technical activities.